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Original poster

Debt Free 2007?

551 replies

Flamesparrow · 28/11/2006 17:42

Keep thinking about this since yesterday...

Am thinking that my aim for 2007 is to be in a decent(ish) money situation next Christmas BUT I don't wanna take the swing out of the budgie's cage completely...

I need to work out how to save money, pay all the bills, but still be able to have the odd treat here and there.

I thinking:

  • Decent food budgetting/planning
  • uswitch (I think I am on the cheapest anyway)
  • s/o for savings AND a s/o for treats
  • Work out the birthdays that will be coming across the year and make sure I put aside enough each month to cover the hell months.

What else should I be doing?

OP posts:
charliecat · 19/02/2007 16:32

Thanks you SKA...take a bow...SUPER IDEA..in fact, make sure you send it as a tip for a mumsnet competition coz it might even win you something.
Dont give up MOH, where will that get you? I think we are all enjoying spreading our savings and confessing our spends here and I dont know about others but its stopping me splurging, just having an awareness...
You made 160...thats fab. Is it going towards debt or being spend on something useful?
I have made £75 on ebay since the easter challenge on the other thread..50 went towards some bill or other, very handy, and I borrowed £25 from dd(age 9 some of her savings...oh the shame) so the other 25 is going back to her.
Can I mention QUIDCO again.
www.quidco.com
Ive had £10 from there, just by thinking before ive brought things and seeing ifs theres a company through quidco that will pay me for buying via them.

Kaz33 · 19/02/2007 16:35

Another one is greasypalm.co.uk - they are the same as quidco.

charliecat · 19/02/2007 16:40

Kaz33. you can get dishwasher tablets in the pound shop.
If the stuff isnt too dirty I use one of those. And a posh one when they are rot.

pookey · 19/02/2007 16:41

MascaraOHara if you can get through a hard time like this then there will be no stopping you, sorry things are difficult for you

Welcome kirstygem - I think everyone borrows from their parents in one way or another - my mum has helped me out after childcare fell apart recently and she wont even take her full train costs - that is going to be a big part in us paying off cc early. You really need to get your dp's support - show him receipts and how much things actually cost, work out together exactly what all your expenses (phone bill, child care, electricity) will be between now and the next pay day (I always used to get caught out by thinking there were 28 days in a month - duh!) that kind of thing so reality hits him. i never used to be 100% honest with my Dp about how much I was overdrawen, how much my ccs were etc so he would spend money thinking we were doing ok when we werent. Now he knows the situation we can sort it out - not saying your situation is similar just that now me and dp are working togethere its better.

hecciesmum - I am pregnant, people doing lovely things for others makes me cry - please desist!

charliecat · 19/02/2007 16:42

Yes, that was a lovely offer hecciesmum

Mirage · 19/02/2007 21:53

We have cancelled SKY so will save over £30 per month.I also sold a book on Ebay.I bought it for less than 10p & sold it for £15.00.
I was saving up to buy some new curtain poles & they were £50 each.Yesterday I found the identical ones in a discount shop for £28 & my new radiator cabinet cost £50 less than I was expecting.Normally every time I buy something or hasve something done on the house it costs far more than I expect,so I'm pretty pleased.

nikkie · 19/02/2007 23:01

I found a nice fire mantelpiece today for £60 , would still need to buy marble stuff though but have the gas fire.

charliecat · 20/02/2007 16:31

Marble stuff as in the bit you stub your toe on? Keep an eye out in B and Q for returns....
Dp got paid today and I put the money in the jars and paid the stuff over the net...and it left £15 for petrol each....which will do. But frigging hell. Not a penny spare...and dd1 comes trotting out of school waving a form...£10 school trip. And it really shouldnt be
giving me a headache. But there isnt £10 so it will have to be borrowed from somewhere, the water probably.
Fecking arse.

Bananaknickers · 20/02/2007 17:41

has anyone tryed stardrops for cleaning.I have just brought my first bottle for years and it is supposed to be really good. It's cheap can be used for almost anything and It goes along way.

charliecat · 20/02/2007 19:10

Cleaning? Whazzat?

nikkie · 20/02/2007 20:30

CC- ebay again?

pookey · 20/02/2007 21:03

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

charliecat · 20/02/2007 21:15

There is a school fund, and its abused by people who pay 20 for the swimming bags but refuse to pay for the 17 a term lessons
But I wouldnt dream of using it myself. Schools free, thats good enough for me!

charliecat · 20/02/2007 21:16

Nikkie, have ebayed myself out for the moment.
I have a load of polly pocket toys that are incomplete and I know ive got the full sets. So ive put them in the attic and im going to slowly refind all the people in the kids room then sell them.

nikkie · 20/02/2007 22:31

I'm ebaying everything in the house atm, got a bit obsessed!
Have you seen the MSE thread on cr*p that sells?

Bananaknickers · 21/02/2007 10:28

nikkie can you do a link to that page please. i can't find it

NuttyMuffins · 21/02/2007 10:34

The trips always come when you don't have the money don't they CC.

I worked out my budget for this week and then dd comes home with a letter for a concert that the school choir (that she is in) are performing in, so thats £4.50 for the ticket, £2.10 for the bus there and then we'll have to get a taxi back as the buses are crap that time of night so then another £5 at least.

charliecat · 21/02/2007 10:46

Awful isnt it nutty? Are you going on Hols or taking those lessons?
I must confess, that I thought lessons were expensive, and my mum paid for the majority of those, but since having a car I NEVER have anymoney...BUT if I didnt have the car I would be paying £36 a week for buses. So. Im not convinced without the car id have any money either.

NuttyMuffins · 21/02/2007 10:50

I'm not doing either at the minute CC, just don't have the spare cash to save up for anything. I think the lessons will have to wait until I get a job now.

I really want to take the kids to france but I just don't have the money for one passport nevermind 4.

Everytime I start to put spare money up, something breaks, this week it's the vacuum, so am on the look out for a cheap one of those.

charliecat · 21/02/2007 11:02

ARGOS had seriously cheep hoovers NUTTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kirstygem · 21/02/2007 11:11

Pookey cheers for your message. printed out our bank statments for last couple months and made DH sit down with me and look at them. He was seriously shocked and admitted he never checks the balance before taking out £10 here and £20 there which he spends on nothing in particular. We agreed have to work as team to get through this.

have made £20 on Ebay this week so feeling very proud of myself
Only a week to go til payday now thank god!!

Helennn · 21/02/2007 14:10

Just found a really good web-site with some excellent deals on at the moment. Have a look at www.nurseryandtoys.com. Have Zorbit pram bales for £5 instead of £20 and really good deals on toys etc. Obviously not encouraging you to buy things you don't need but excellent for buying cheap presents or setting up a nursery, 12 AA batteries for £2.50 instead of £10 - always useful. Postage is £5.50 but worth it if you have a dc's birthday coming up etc.

Does anybody on here want me to post any other ideas that I use, or do you want to keep this more as a support thread? Let me know if you do as I am a bit of a moneysaving nerd!!!

kirstygem · 21/02/2007 15:05

I would really like some money saving tips as can use all the help that you can give. I wish I was a money saving nerd!!

charliecat · 21/02/2007 16:09

Keep em coming Helen I have been to nursery and toys shop and they are really cheap for some things

nikkie · 21/02/2007 19:24

Started as a tips thread now a support one too!